Exits45 wrote:I want to buy a Chronograph. So many choices. I looked @ the reviews on Midway and scanned the negitives side of the reviews.Somewhat helpful but a roll of the dice.What do you use, any advice?

Chrony F1 Master on sale right now at Midway. There's a hack to add more features like the Beta has if you're handy with a soldering iron.

Hoot

In Theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In Practice, there is.

Chrony F1. Hands down. Mine even survived about four hours in the refrigerator, thanx to a half asleep teenager who apparently thought he was putting the Velveeta Block in the fridge. Yes, I know you're sitting over there with a funny look on your face but I'm not kidding. I think I mentioned it in my thread about the 230 Grain FMJ Mag Tech range report a couple years ago.

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How useful/necessary are chronographs. I've been reading a lot of pros and cons on them and while I think they would be fun to have, I'm not sure how important they are if you're not shooting over 300 yards

Actually, the chronograph is an extremely important tool when you are reloading. Now, if you are not reloading, And only using factory ammo, then the chronograph would become lesser of a priority, but would still be very useful, so that you could know the actual velocity of that factory round in your rifle during your preseason site in session. But if you are a handloader, the chronograph is an extremely important tool. All you need to do is read our range reports and you will see why. So, if you are handloading for the 450 bushmaster, it does not matter what range will be shooting, bullet speed is one of the many factors that we use to manage safe pressures. A chronograph will tell you not only feet per second it tells you all lot of things and one of the most important things, after safety, is by observing other factors in your process and the results from a chronograph session, the end results show you how consistent your handloading practices are. In other words quality. So YES. A chronograph is extremely important if you handload. Whether you are shooting at 50 yards or a 1000 yards. A chronograph can help keep you in the safe zone.

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i use a magnetospeed v3. i've not tested it with a .450 BM (doing my homework now for an upper purchase) but with the other calibers i've measured with it i've had great results. its only real flaw is its minimal adaptability to a handgun.

one MAJOR Plus is that - at least around here - all of the outdoor ranges (public) do NOT allow traditional chrono's to be used.

having a chrono in your reloading arsenal is very helpful - its the only way to really know what velocity you're at and if your loads are consistent.

i would also like to note, that while not specific to the 450BM, having a chronograph is almost mandatory for working on subsonic loads. its critical to balance staying below the sound barrier and keeping enough speed so you keep the bullet stable & dont stick a bullet in a barrel. a couple hundred FPS from your intended mark can put you in a VERY bad spot.

plant_one wrote:i use a magnetospeed v3. i've not tested it with a .450 BM (doing my homework now for an upper purchase) but with the other calibers i've measured with it i've had great results. its only real flaw is its minimal adaptability to a handgun.

one MAJOR Plus is that - at least around here - all of the outdoor ranges (public) do NOT allow traditional chrono's to be used.

having a chrono in your reloading arsenal is very helpful - its the only way to really know what velocity you're at and if your loads are consistent.

I would already own a magnetospeed but for one reason. I love the fact that I would not have to pack and drag another accessory bag to the range like I do with my tripod mounted conventional chrono. I love the fact that I would not have to spend 10 minutes setting up, deploying it while everyone has to stop shooting and wait for me to take several attempts to get it aligned between me and the target. I love not repeating that effort again knocking down when I'm done. Lastly, given the orientation of our rifle range and our northern location, the sun arcs across the sky from behind, casting light underneath the screens and at times of the day, causing errors in optical chronos. Not just my particular brand either. OK, that why I would not hesitate to plop down my hard earned money.

I haven't bought one however, because I like to combine shooting for accuracy with shooting to record a loading recipe's resultant velocity at the same time. I have owned and still own many different caliber rifles. Hanging an object on the barrel interferes with its natural harmonics. Not just making it sag a small amount, but impacting the frequency that it bobs and shakes at as the bullet races down the bore. That reflects in group consistency and POI. Overcoming that means loading or buying more ammo and spending more time.

Enter the Radar based solution. A lot to love, other than the price. Not that the Magnetospeed is chump change. I hope the radar based units catch on. Volume sales will bring prices down in a year or two. Look at baseball radar guns. They're under a hundred bucks. Admittedly, clocking a much slower moving object the size of a baseball for 60ft is less of a technical challenge, but we can hope.

Hoot

In Theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In Practice, there is.

Hey Hoot, Magnetospeed now makes a 1913 picatinney rail adapter for their product ($25.00) that is mainly designed for pistols with rails, it also works on short barreled rifles with extended hand guards w/rails. I have a magnetospeed, but not the rail adapter yet. I have done no testing yet as I have the big "C" and been under going chemo (almost done) I'm still weak and have a hard time getting around. Hope to be much better in a month or two. With a little home engineering this adapter might work with AR's and get around the harmonics problem. Good luck. turtle2.